Acorn Shortage Could Cause Animals to Starve
Where have all the acorns gone? From Virginia to Pennsylvania to New York to the Midwest, naturalists are reporting a startling loss of acorns, according to the Washington Post. People are reporting, that even on their own properties, oak trees that were dropping acorns like crazy last year are bare this year. According to experts, many animals are at risk of starving this winter due to this shortage.The big mystery is why this is happening. Oak trees do cycle according to the type of oak and stressed trees actually overproduce acorns, to ensure survival of the species. Oaks can self-pollinate although the male trees pollinate the female tree. This is where the weather is critical, as a late frost can kill the female flowers, and hence the decrease the chance of pollination. Another theory is that wet weather might have washed all the pollen away.
While one bare acorn cycle isn't a big deal, if it continues it could be a sign of something bigger.














